Rescinding the Corvette offer.

[rivka]

This morning I turned on the TV to a cooking show while I was eating my breakfast.

Alex clapped for Rachael Ray. Okay, so she's been strangely interested in Rachael Ray for a while - but sheesh, so much for my unbelievable specialness. I still love her to pieces, but now she can just wait for Rachael to buy her a Corvette.

---

A brief digression about Alex and TV:

Yes, we know that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no TV at all before age two because of concerns about its effects on development. I am utterly unconvinced by the putative TV-ADHD connection, and beyond that, the primary concern about TV in babyhood is that it crowds out activities with a higher developmental payoff, such as playing, interacting with other people, and being active. That's definitely a valid concern, but it seems most relevant for families where the TV is always on and kids are planted in front of it for long periods of time. That doesn't describe our household.

That said, we try to limit Alex's TV exposure in sensible ways. We watch most of our TV when she's sleeping. If the TV's on when she's awake, we try to arrange ourselves and her toys so that she's not facing the screen. (Other things being equal, she prefers to face us.) We don't turn on any children's television; I also avoid anything violent or graphic and anything with a lot of quick cuts. That pretty much leaves televised baseball and poker, cooking shows, decorating shows, West Wing reruns, and the occasional documentary. And we usually watch things on TiVO, which means that we can skip the commercials. Mostly she ignores the TV... but she does seem to like watching 30 Minute Meals with Rachael Ray.

Comments

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

Oh, my kids ate the Gerber stuff too. I look forward to presenting my darling daughter with my much splattered copy of "Feed Me, I'm Yours," 12th printing, 1977.

That book suggests using a blender for making baby food. That makes sense, given that food processors weren't common kitchen equipment in the late 70's. I got my first one in about 1996, come to think.

I was a stay-at-home mom during those years, which of course meant I had far more time that a working mom to spend on fussing over food. I was also chiefly motivated to save money. My grocery budget was only $20/week back then. While it was a long time ago and the economy has changed a lot, it also meant that we didn't have a lot to eat.

K. [who made her own baby formula for a while, out of sheer economic necessity]

Blender & Baby Food

[tendyl.livejournal.com]

My sister fixes my niece her baby food in the Blender. She told me its cheaper and easier than buying food - she only bought a few to have the cans/bottles for storage. Sis buys the frozen fruits/veggies, cooks them, and then blends them. I'm planning on doing the same thing. Any suggestions?

Re: Blender & Baby Food

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

No, buying food in little jars is easier. There's no question about that at all. You must have the time, the energy, and the interest to make your own baby food. It's been a few decades since I had a baby around here, but I recall pressing the cooked foods through a strainer with the back of a wooden spoon to make sure the puree was absolutely smooth for a brand hew eater. But not for very long, since I figured that the baby could figure out how to deal with lumps, which they did.

Make lots at a time, once you're sure your kid will actually eat it and tolerate it. Freeze meal-sized gobs in ice cube trays or on cookie sheets, then put the frozen blobs in a zip lock baggie.

I used Campbell's Vegetable Beef soup as finger food, since everything was cooked to a very soft texture and nicely diced into baby sized pieces. You could consider the same thing with soup you have around (homemade, even) for older babies.

Your sister is probably a better source of advice that I am, given how long it's been since my kids were babies. Though check back in a year, we'll have a baby in the family by then.

K.